Alyssa Lies
by nightlyroses
Summary: In a world that only Muggles exist (Muggle!AU), Arthur Weasley is a government official who struggles with the knowledge that his elder daughter Olivia (fem!Ron) has a new friend named Alyssa (fem!Harry) who doesn't tell the truth about her relatives.


_Out on the playground of St. Grogory's between the tires and swings sits a small girl. Her long black hair hangs like a curtain around her shoulders, shielding most of her face from view. Her emerald green eyes appear empty except for a glint of sadness. Another girl with red hair and bright blue eyes bounds over to her while ignoring the calls from her twin brothers with a smile. "Hi! I'm Olivia! What's your name?"_

 _Not bothering to look up the black-haired girl answers, "Alyssa."_

" _You look lonely. Do you want to play with me and my brothers? Freddie's been bugging me about you since interval started for some reason."_

"… _I'm not sure."_

" _It'll be fun! Please?"_

 _With a shrug and a wince, Alyssa gets up and follows Olivia over to a pair of redheaded twins from Year 3. Olivia pokes one of them and says, "You happy now, Freddie?"_

" _Somewhat," he swats at his sister and flashes a grin at Alyssa._

Olivia had been enthusiastic to have finally found a new friend at school, according to the twins. But the moment Arthur comes home from work has his older daughter come crying to him. When he asks her what was wrong she answers, "Alyssa lies."

Lying is a huge deal for young children. Arthur assumes that Olivia is simply terrified of her friend getting into trouble for that and says, "You can tell me, Olivia. Who is she lying to and why?"

He's not at all prepared for what she has to say. "Alyssa lies to the classroom and the teachers everyday at school. It's because of those weird purple and yellow marks she has on her body. She's hurting bad. I can tell."

" _Alyssa, dear, aren't you hot under that long-sleeved shirt?" the teacher kindly asks the little dark-haired girl. "Why don't you just roll up the sleeves so you don't get too hot?"_

 _Alyssa doesn't move or reply so the teacher reaches for an arm. This action causes her to flinch violently. Frowning, the teacher gently touches her hand before sliding the sleeve back. She gasps at the sight of purple bruises on the little girl's arm. "Alyssa, dear, what happened to your arm?"_

"… _Fell."_

Anyone with a brain can tell what that kid language translated to. To say that Arthur is afraid is an understatement. He is _terrified_. As an employee in the government, he is well aware of the law. There had been several heartbreaking casualties in the past in situations like this, and he had seen some of his co-workers have a complete breakdown especially the women. He knows that he needs to report this at work on Monday after dropping off the kids.

That night, Arthur tucks Olivia and her younger sister Ginny into bed at 8 PM. Ginny immediately falls asleep, but Olivia is mumbling words under her breath. As he leaves the room, he can hear her say, "God bless Mummy and Daddy and Billy and Charlie and Percy and Freddie and Georgie and Ginny and my new friend Alyssa. Especially Alyssa. She needs you, God, because she lies to the teachers and the classroom everyday about those coloured spots on her."

Arthur sleeps horribly all weekend. He's can't help it with the overwhelming fear and worry he's feeling. He's desperate to find a way to calm his daughter's fears. He keeps telling himself that he knows what to do. Go to work on Monday and report the suspected abuse. It will be all over by then. Unfortunately, it does but not in the way he thinks.

"Why does everyone look so sad, Daddy?" Olivia asked when they arrived at school on Monday morning. The students and parents are all assembled in one big crowd in the courtyard with the teachers standing in front alongside each other. Several are crying and blowing their noses while others are in shock. Percy strides over to his Year 5 mates to demand answers while Fred and George run off to meet their friend Lee Jordan from Year 3.

A lump rises from Arthur's throat as he and Olivia find the other students in Year 1. It can't be, can it? "Excuse me, miss?" he hails the Year 1 teacher as his daughter runs off to find her friend. "What is going on? What happened?"

The teacher sniffs. "It's awful! One of my students got killed by her own uncle last night! I can't believe it!"

Arthur can barely breathe. Although he had a strong suspicion he asks, "Who was it?"

"Alyssa Potter!" she wails.

" _Bitch!" Uncle Vernon snarls as he slaps the little girl hard across the face. "You ungrateful brat! How dare you smash that bottle of beer!"_

" _I didn't mean to!" Alyssa protests, screaming when he aims a kick at her stomach. She flies back and hits the wall from the force. She slumps to the floor, barely conscious._

" _I ought to kill you!" he roars, grabbing her by the throat and squeezing tight._

" _Vernon!" Aunt Petunia objects, coming into the corridor. "What are you doing?! Stop!"_

"Daddy?" Olivia says, coming back to him. "I can't find Alyssa. Where is she?"

The teacher bursts into tears again while Arthur bends down to look at his daughter straight in the eye. Tears fall down his cheeks as he tells her, "Alyssa won't be coming to school today."

"Why?"

Arthur takes a deep breath. "You know how you told me that she was lying to the classroom and the teachers? Well, she won't be doing that anymore. Alyssa now lies with Jesus."

He doesn't add out loud, _Because no one, not even me, bothered to help her in time._

She bursts out crying. "B-but you t-told m-me th-that y-you w-would! You promised! She c-can't b-be d-dead! She c-can't b-be!"

"I was too late, honey," Arthur chokes out. "I'm so sorry."

Olivia sobs loudly into her father's jacket. "Why did she have to lie?!"

Arthur doesn't know how to tell her as he tears up again. How do you tell a five-year-old that her best friend got murdered by someone who was supposed to love and care for her?


End file.
